the last few days have been tough, a bad birthday (food poisoning or some such shit) and a rough recovery from it. the birthday itself wasn't too bad if you subtract the bathroom time. i got in my ride though, my age plus a bit for good measure before i did anything else. errands and all the other crap waited until that was done. the 8 inches of snow were gone from the roads by mid-late morning. i felt very belgian, it was a bit cold, a bit wet and a lot windy. the thought of suffering in the wind for a few hours was appealing early in the day before whatever bit me came out. sunday's race was better, riding up there from golden is doing more than i realized. the effort of the race isn't bad but the two hours before is making it harder. this week will show better race results but overall if i can stay healthy i think i'll be flying come april. i'm still on the fence about racing the 35 plus age group full time, the pros just are so fast and challenging. maybe i'll do a few to see how it goes and help the team. recovery mode all week, eat lots and maybe gain a couple of pounds if i'm lucky. good food goes a long way, just as long as it doesn't make you sick.